Thursday, July 26, 2007

United Front for Liberation and Development?

Bidish Sarma

One of the great challenges in brokering a peace deal for the people of Darfur is understanding and overcoming the various political cleavages that have emerged in the region.  The Darfur Peace Agreement, signed in May of 2006, was heavily criticized because it was only signed by one of the major rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM).  Indeed, in the recently released book Not On Our Watch, John Prendergast and Don Cheadle indicate that, rather than bringing the region closer to peace, the Darfur Peace Agreement reflected a successful effort by the Khartoum regime to bring the leader of the SLM, Minni Minnawi, under the government’s sphere of influence.

Given the complexities on the ground, it is difficult to grasp clearly how the recent agreement of five rebel factions to unite in preparation for future peace talks will affect the political dynamics in Sudan.  The new group, called the United Front for Liberation and Development (UFLD), has emphasized the importance of inclusiveness and has urged other factions to join it.  However, at this time the BBC reports that “several major rebel groups remain outside the new alliance.”

Whether the UFLD is a truly inclusive alliance or the result of a power play by the Eritrean government, policymakers must be sensitive to the political developments as they consider the optimal course of action.  One can only hope that the innocent civilians in Darfur are not being exploited by political opportunists looking to benefit from the humanitarian crisis.  Whatever the long-term political solution may be, the priorities of peace, protection, and punishment must be realized.